Niching Down
I was in Colorado for a Philosophy and Theology seminar about 13 years ago and I went out to a quiet space to journal and found myself very lost. I finally hitchhiked my way back to where I was staying, but the point is: we’re all on a journey. Sometimes we’re lost. Sometimes we’re on track. We’re all faced with choices and decisions that lead us to where we are now.
My past as a teacher eventually led me to found my own agency that was focused on web development. The first year was tough, and we were working with different people on different projects. I was scattered. I decided to niche down into e-commerce which brought improvement. But it wasn’t until I decided to specialize in podcasting that the real momentum started building.
Why Specialize?
“When you focus on a single thing, you start to develop mastery.”
Deciding to specialize simplified things immensely, from marketing and finding the right clients to navigating relationships within the industry. While it is scary as you embark into the unknown, you can prepare well by asking yourself the right questions.
- What do I do?
- What do I have to offer in this service or industry?
- What are the benefits I bring to the table for those clients?
The Positioning Manual by Phillip Morgan and Donald Miller’s StoryBrand Framework are excellent resources for helping you clarify your answers to those questions and decide whether you should specialize. Other books that have shaped my mindset on this journey are: Rework, The 4-Hour Workweek, and Perfectly Yourself.
Advice
- Don’t listen to everyone. Sometimes you need to do things that don’t make sense to other people.
- Don’t worry about the future.
- Don’t sell yourself short.
- Don’t give up.
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